Stable numbers of new enrollments, fewer dropouts, and an increase in the number of doctoral degrees awarded compared to the previous year - these are the encouraging results from the University of Bonn’s doctoral student statistics. As in 2024, 890 people began their doctoral studies here. This shows that interest in advanced academic training remains high, despite growing demands and a somewhat tight situation in the academic job market.
International diversity also continues to grow: In 2025, 28 percent of doctoral candidates were foreign nationals, which corresponds to approximately 1,900 people. Among those who began their doctoral studies that same year, this proportion was as high as 31 percent - 4 percent above the national average.
As in previous years, women make up the majority of doctoral candidates, at around 54 percent, placing the University of Bonn above the national average of 49 percent. Particularly encouraging: Once again, more women than men successfully completed their doctorates (52 percent). Overall, the number of doctoral degrees awarded rose from 674 to 683.
A look at the distribution of disciplines at the University of Bonn reveals significant differences in the distribution of doctoral candidates: Most are enrolled in human medicine and health sciences - with 2,500 students (37 percent). This is followed by mathematics and natural sciences with 1,700 (26 percent), the humanities and social sciences with 1,600 (24 percent), and agricultural, food, and engineering sciences with 500 (7 percent).
These latest figures underscore just how dynamically the doctoral landscape in Germany is evolving. For universities and research institutions, this development provides an opportunity to observe, reflect on, and specifically support their own trends.